THE leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas MP enjoyed a cuppa and a chat with Woodside pensioners as she discussed the extent of fuel poverty in the borough.
Caroline visited the home of 78 year-old Jean Underhill from Holly Hall Road and also met her neighbours, as she heard how the pensioner has had to wait 12 years for cavity wall insulation to be installed and her heating updated in her home.
Following her visit, the MP, who is also the co-chair of the All-Parliamentary Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency, then visited the Highbridge Road home of working mum, Kelly Riggs, who is paying out between £50 and £60 a week on storage heaters, to heat her home and keep her two young boys warm, one of whom has asthma.
The MP’s visit was organised by Netherton, Woodside and St Andrew’s Green Party council candidate, Will Duckworth.
Will said “Caroline Lucas came to Netherton to highlight the scandalous fact that over 14,000 people in Dudley live in fuel poverty, where more than 10 per cent of their income is spent on fuel bills. Over the past five years, the big six energy companies have earned over £30billion in profits, including from some of the poorest in our society “
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